INPS CENTRAL CHAPTER NATIVE PLANT SALE – MAY 11, 2019
Many of you have volunteered in prior years at the set-up or sale day, or both, but for those viewers who are considering joining the fun this year for the first time, read on. An abbreviated listing of the various activities that must be accomplished each day is presented here to help you decide what work activities you might find most interesting and enjoyable.
Set-up Day, Friday, May 10: 9:00 a.m. – ~3:00 p.m.
Detailed directions for all the activities listed here will be provided by the growers and sale organizers.
- Unload plants from vehicles – trucks, trailers, vans, cars – and arrange on tables, alphabetically by scientific name. Some of the herbaceous plants may already will be in place.
- Help label plants, especially woodies, and mark prices.
- Gather pre-sale woody orders and label with customer names.
- Affix signs to tables and buildings, weather permitting.
- General cleaning, preening, and arranging of all plant materials so they look their best.
- Testing Wi-Fi connections for online payments.
Sale Day, Saturday, May 11: 8:00 a.m. until all is complete!
Detailed directions will be provided first thing in the morning. Dedicated customers start arriving at 7:30 or 8:00 to be first in line and we want to be ready to open at 9:00 sharp!
- Prior to sale opening, final plant material layout and cleanup; hanging signs as necessary; stacking strawberry boxes at sale entrance; preparing checkout area with sales receipts, pens, etc.; placing RESERVED signs on tables on eastside of pavilion; familiarizing oneself with plant layouts.
- Assist customers find plants, make selections, move filled boxes to RESERVED tables, or carry boxes if customer needs assistance.
- Assist customers with particular questions re plant(s) or guide customer to the appropriate resource on-site (which will be identified in 8:00 discussions).
- Keep plants neatly arranged on the tables: refill any empty tray cells with additional plants, if available; remove empty pot trays from the sales tables; write time a plant sells out on a Post-It note and affix to the appropriate plant photo.
- At least 8 volunteers are needed to prepare sales receipts for customers during the first two hours of the sale. Usually need just 4 to 6 volunteers after that initial rush freeing others to help in areas as identified at the time. (Directions about this process will be provided in the 8:00 discussions.)
- Checkout traffic guidance: We need one or two volunteers to manage customer traffic, especially in the first 2 to 3 hours of the sale. Customers must have costs of plants calculated prior to moving to the cashier table, and customers waiting to have a sales receipt prepared or to move to the cashiers table cannot block access to plants, especially the woodies. Volunteer(s) with strong, loud voice(s) is/are needed for this task.
OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED! Be willing to help as needed, always smiling and having fun!
